Parma Rallies Late to Topple Fairview 13-8

 Week 2 of the high school football season is finally underway! The 1-0 Parma Redmen made the trip out to Fairview Stadium to visit the 0-1 Fairview Warriors. The Redmen hoped to keep the ball rolling the right direction while the Warriors hoped to right the ship. Watching warm ups and hearing both teams hyped up by their coaches foreshadowed the intensity of this hard-fought contest. There was no point in this game where it was clear who would come out on top. Both teams kept the game within one score the entire contest. Despite some early turnovers in the first half, and a few untimely flags, the Redman and Warriors kept all those in attendance on the edge of their seats. Each team also had a few players that were obvious focal points on their offence. 

Redmen etch a slim victory over the Warriors  

The final scorecard had the Parma Redman victorious over the Fairview Warriors by a narrow 13 to 8 points. On one of the first offensive plays of the game, running back Zach Wilson of the Warriors broke away for a 66-yard touchdown on the ground. Immediately after that quarterback for Fairview Sean McNamara extended the lead even farther with a 2-point conversion.  The Redmen answered back with two huge turnovers via their special teams unit but were unable to capitalize on that momentum.  Unfortunately, QB Keanu Krall of the Redmen had two great touchdowns taken away by offensive holding plays.  The Warriors held this lead through into the beginning of the 4th quarter. A three-pronged ground game attack by the Redmen finally wore down the tough Warriors defense which ultimately resulted in the Warriors not having enough time to recover their lead.

Spotlight Players 

Both teams had a handful of players who shined brighter than the rest. On the Warriors’ side of the ball, Sean McNamara showed poise and focus managing a 2-point conversion as well as 88 yards on 7 and 12 passing and carried the ball 5 times for 52 yards. McNamara’s potential was on full display especially on the last drive of the second half. McNamara went 4 for 6 for 58 yards nearly extending the Warriors lead. McNamara also showed tremendous leadership on the final drive of the game with less than 2 minutes left on the clock. He had the Warriors within 40 yards of the endzone as time was expiring and nearly sealed the game but just came up short. McNamara looked in control in the pocket and did an awesome job keeping plays alive with his mobility. On the other hand, the entire back field of the Redmen were vital to managing the clock, and in the end the biggest factor in sealing their win. Dominic Dearman was a force to be reckoned with. Dearman went for 67 yards on 10 carries from scrimmage with his powerful bruising running style not typically seen in high school players. Cam Yon was a great change of pace type running back scoring Parma’s only 2 touchdowns on 8 carries going for 20 yards. The most dynamic runner for the Redmen on the field was Quarterback Nick Bonus who took almost all of his snaps in a wild-cat type formation. Bonus has the leading rushing in the game on 14 carries going for a very impressive 101 yards. 

Closing Remarks

This game came down to the very last play. Both teams showed intensity and focus that spells a bright future for a ton of players on either team. Parma is off to a hot start and if their running game keeps performing the way they did tonight they could be playing football late into the year. On the other hand, Fairview showed promise but just didn’t quite have enough to finish the game on top. Disappointment on one side and a group of young men on the other side who believed in their coaches and could make a lot of noise in the playoffs this year.